1. Field of the Invention
This invention is in the field of tampons and applicators for use with vaginal menstrual flow or bleeding of any kind.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Vaginal tampons have been used for decades as feminine hygiene adjuvants with great degree of public acceptance. There are several designs that in essence vary the amount of material and size of the tampon. The tampons have been approved for human use, mass produced, commercially available and widely used by females throughout the world. The prior tampons consist of a rolled up piece of cotton/polyester material to which a fabric string has been attached typically by sewing. The rolled up material comes packaged in a cylindrical inserter, plastic or cardboard, that contains a small cylinder made of the same substance that is used as a plunger to push up the tampon. Once the tampon is inserted in the vagina the fabric string will hang out after the inserter is withdrawn and discarded.
Existing tampons have several disadvantages inherent in the design. First, the commercially available prior tampons essentially have the same length of two inches. Since the length of the vaginal canal is approximately four inches in the adult female, the existing available tampons may be inserted at different depths into the vaginal canal allowing for failure in absorbency, leakage, and expulsion.
A major disadvantage of the prior tampons is the external configuration or geometry of the tampon main body. The shape of the existing tampons is roughly cylindrical with variations in the amount of the cotton/polyester fiber. Typically, six to nine grams of the fiber is utilized and is accepted by the Association of Tampon Producers. The internal shape of the walls of the vaginal canals however, does not resemble a cylinder. The anterior and posterior walls are in contact forming in cross section a figure approximating capital H or a flattened transverse number 8. As a result, the existing tampons having a cylindrical shape allow the tampon to be placed at random on either side of the vaginal canal or worse transversely defeating its purpose of catching menstrual flow or bleeding.
The two prior disadvantages combine resulting in uncontrolled or random placement of the tampon. Since there is no relationship between the cylindrical tampon and the place of containment, the main purpose of optimal absorbency of uterine menstrual flow or bleeding is not achieved with the commercially available tampons. Users frequently complain of poor protection due to: a) overflow leakage wherein the amount of available cotton/polyester material absorbs only few milliliters of blood/menstrual flow, forcing the user to frequent changes of saturated tampons, and b) the uncertain placement of the tampon intra/vaginally allows for 1) menstrual flow/blood bypassing the tampon, 2) early expulsion, 3) external leakage of menstrual flow/blood when the hanging string is saturated, and 4) difficulty and inability to withdraw the tampon when the string has been pulled into the vaginal canal during insertion or when the tampon inadvertently has been placed transversely and high. This latter disadvantage and complication sets the ideal conditions for the production of Toxic Shock Syndrome since the inserted tampon is easily forgotten in place or becomes unreachable.
A representable sample of the prior devices include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,286,594 issued to Cunningham; 3,845,767 issued to Friese et al; 3,726,277 issued to Hirschman; 3,196,873 issued Bletzinger et al; 4,291,696 issued to Ring; and in the British Patent Specification 1,204,117 issued to Ellis. The Cunningham device includes an applicator sleeve which is withdrawn as the tampon remains stationary. The Friese et al device includes a tampon having various geometric configurations. The Hirschman device includes a tampon with a circular configuration and a node extending therefrom. The Bletzinger et al device includes a tampon and applicator with the tampon being compressed into the applicator and then expanding when withdrawn. The Ring device includes a tampon applicator with distal leafs forming a tampon closure means' and the Ellis device includes a tampon of resilient material having end portions of uniform circular cross section and an intermediate portion of reduced cross section to allow the tampon to be flexed.
It is desired to prevent movement of the tampon once inserted. Thus, the preferred embodiment of the tampon disclosed herein includes a hollow distal end configured to fittingly receive the cervix of the uterus. Further, a pair of channels are formed on the opposite sides of the tampon to facilitate a conforming fit.